Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Ione's Dilemma by Linda Carroll-Bradd

As a young girl, Linda was often found
lying on her bed reading about fascinating characters having exciting
adventures in places far away and in other time periods. In later years, she
read and then started writing romances and achieved her first publication--a
confession story. Married with 4 adult children and 2 granddaughters, Linda now
writes heartwarming contemporary and historical stories with a touch of humor
and a bit of sass from her home in the southern California mountains.

When Ione Forrester calls off her
wedding, she becomes the social pariah of Des Moines. Much to her society
parents’ chagrin. To escape the gossip, Ione accepts a teaching job in Dorado,
Texas, vowing to avoid scandal at all costs. Relocating from a doctor’s
household with cook and maids to a room in a boarding house is quite an
adjustment. Then she has to face her biggest challenge—a schoolhouse full of
students.

Carpenter Morgan Shipley’s business is
doing well and now he’s looking for companionship. An ad for a mail-order bride
brings a deluge of letters, which prove more than he can handle. To his
surprise, an intriguing woman from a big city arrives in his small Texas town.
Correspondence is nothing like interacting with a flesh-and-blood woman every
day. But gossip-leery Ione wants nothing to do with Morgan’s attempts at
courting, which makes him try even harder.

Missus
Treadwell clasped her hands in front of her waist. “You should take more care for
your reputation than to be seen in the company of Mister O’Shea. Why, he’s the
proprietor of one of the town’s saloons.” After speaking, the older woman
clamped her lips tight.

A saloon owner? She gasped and
spun to stare wide-eyed. What would Mother say if she learned of this incident?
And occurring only minutes after her arrival. “Oh my stars. He never mentioned
his profession. Mister O’Shea appeared so helpful and just offered directions.”
She let out a sigh. “His manners seemed so nice.”

The
very first decision she’d made on her own, and she allowed a man of
questionable character to escort her through town. Was her mother right? Did
Ione invite trouble into her path?

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